The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine denominated varietally as F.P.C.D.O.V #1, and more particularly to a grapevine which is noted for its high fruitfulness, and the production of red colored seedless grapes having a berry size similar to that provided by the Thompson Seedless grapevine, but which ripens approximately 3 to 4 weeks earlier under the ecological conditions prevailing in the San Joaquin Valley of central California.
From a commercial standpoint, the relative times of ripening of various varieties of grapes is obviously extremely important. It has been recognized as desirable to provide grape vines that bear fruit earlier than varieties which it most nearly resembles whereby the fruit can be brought to market at a time when competition is at a minimum. In addition, if the ripening of various grape varieties can be spread over a longer period of time, savings, and increased efficiency can be obtained because the capital outlay which is generally required to harvest and then transport these grapes or resulting raisins which are harvested within a relatively short ripening period can be spread over longer periods of time resulting in lower costs of final production and further increasing the uniformity of production.
In a continuing effort to upgrade the quality of his grapevines which produce grapes for raisin production, the Applicant routinely crosses various grapevine varieties and thereafter evaluates the offspring to determine their suitability for various markets. In this regard, the applicant crossed two grapevine varieties in 1991 at a property which is located at 4415 E. American Avenue, Fresno, Calif. 93725.
The new variety of grapevine was produced through an intraspecific hybridization which took place on the inventor""s property noted above, and which included a Ruby Seedless as the male parent (pollen), and an unnamed variety which was then growing in the inventor""s vineyard as the female parent. This cross pollenation was done in 1991. The variety was subsequently evaluated and selected from among 500 resulting seedlings. These selected seedlings were then evaluated on the property which is located on the southwest corner of American and Minnewawa Avenues which is located southeast of Fresno, Calif. The inventor subsequently confirmed the characteristics of the new grapevine by asexually reproducing four new plants by dormant cuttings taken from the original seedling. These were propagated at the property of the inventor at 4415 E. American Avenue, Fresno, Calif. These subsequent asexually reproduced plants have been found to have the same distinctive features of the original plant, that is notably high fruitfulness and the production of red colored seedless grapes having a berry size similar to that produced by the Thompson Seedless grapevine but which ripens approximately 3 to 4 weeks earlier. This novel variety of grapvine is viewed as being a particular desirable variety for raisin production due in part to its early ripening characteristics relative to the Thompson Seedless. In this regard, the early ripening feature is favorable with respect to a drying-on-the-vine technique (DOV), a relatively new commercial method of drying grapes into raisins.
In addition to the foregoing, and based upon fruit maturation record collected during the 2000 growing season, the present grapevine variety is somewhat similar in its ripening characteristic to the Diamond Muscat grapevine (a USDA 1999 introduction which ripens approximately 3xc2xd weeks ahead of the Thompson Seedless grapevine); at least one week earlier than the DOVine (a 1995 USDA introduction which ripens approximately 2xc2xd weeks ahead of the Thompson Seedless); and 2 weeks earlier than the Fiesta grapevine (a 1973 USDA introduction which ripens approximately 1xc2xd weeks ahead of the Thompson Seedless grapevine) under the growing conditions prevailing in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. The ripening data, noted above, was collected in research trials conducted at the University of California Kearney Agricultural Center which is located in Parlier, Calif. The soil and growing conditions at the Kearney Agricultural Center are quite similar to those where the new variety was first grown and evaluated. Still further, the new variety of grapevine is notably distinct from the fruit produced by the Ruby Seedless grapevine with respect to its berry shape and ripening date. Still further, the Ruby Seedless grapevine produces fruit which has a distinctly ovoid berry as compared to the described variety""s round berry. Moreover, the Ruby Seedless grapevine is considered a late to mid-season variety, that is the ripening date of the Ruby Seedless is in late August, through mid September, under the ecological conditions prevailing in the vicinity of Fresno, Calif. This date of ripening of the Ruby Seedless grapevine is approximately 4 weeks later than the present variety.